Question 1

Human or electronic intermediaries attempt to reduce each of the following limitations of direct interaction except:

Accepted Answer

The limitation of product distribution is already reduced through direct interaction, as the buyer and seller are able to physically exchange the product. Therefore, intermediaries are not needed to reduce this limitation.

Question 2

Activities related to order fulfillment,inventory management,purchasing from suppliers,accounting and finance,packaging,and delivery are done in what is termed the ________ of the business.

Accepted Answer

Activities related to order fulfillment, inventory management, purchasing from suppliers, accounting and finance, packaging, and delivery are all part of the behind-the-scenes operations of a business known as the back end. The front end, on the other hand, refers to the customer-facing activities such as marketing, sales, and customer service. Infrastructure refers to the underlying systems and technology that facilitate business operations, while an intermediary is a third party that helps facilitate a transaction between a buyer and a seller. None of these options accurately describes the operations listed in the question.

Question 3

Eastern Mountain Sports introduced ________ tools in order to increase collaboration,information sharing,and communication among stores and their employees,suppliers,and customers.

Accepted Answer

Eastern Mountain Sports introduced Web 2.0 tools in order to increase collaboration, information sharing, and communication among stores and their employees, suppliers, and customers. Web 2.0 refers to a second generation of internet-based tools and services that emphasize online collaboration and sharing among users. Examples of Web 2.0 tools include social networking sites, wikis, blogs, and forums.

Question 4

Because of their cost curve,digital products profits will:

Accepted Answer

Digital products typically have high fixed costs and low variable costs. Once the fixed costs are covered, additional sales contribute significantly to profits, leading to rapid profit increases with higher volume.

Question 5

Traditional and electronic markets have three main functions,which include each of the following except:

Accepted Answer

Financing the transformation of raw materials into finished products is not one of the main functions of traditional and electronic markets. The three main functions are matching buyers and sellers, facilitating the exchange of goods and services, and providing an institutional infrastructure.

Question 6

Travelers using airline Web sites to book their flights directly without the use of travel agents is resulting in the reintermediation of travel agents.

Accepted Answer

Reintermediation refers to the reintroduction of an intermediary between consumers and suppliers. In this context, travelers booking flights directly through airline websites are bypassing travel agents, leading to disintermediation rather than reintermediation.

Question 7

E-catalogs have several common characteristics.Which of the following is not a characteristic of e-catalogs?

Accepted Answer

E-catalogs typically require advanced information technology to create and maintain, making it a common characteristic.

Question 8

The cost curves of digital products differ from the cost curves of physical products because in digitization:

Accepted Answer

The cost curves of digital products are mainly composed of fixed costs such as research and development, software development, and infrastructure investment, while the variable costs such as duplication and distribution are relatively low. Therefore, most costs are fixed, and variable costs are very low in digitization.

Question 9

Customized catalogs are especially useful in B2B e-commerce for each of the following reasons except:

Accepted Answer

Intranets are internal networks within an organization and are not typically used to deliver customized catalogs to different business customers, which would require an extranet or internet-based solution.

Question 10

A type of broker that helps consumers compare different stores is a ________.

Accepted Answer

A shopping facilitator is a type of broker that helps consumers compare different stores or retailers by providing them with information on product pricing, quality, and availability. They help consumers find the best deal for their needs and preferences, while also helping retailers reach more potential customers. This type of broker is often used in online shopping, where consumers can easily access information on different stores and products through a single platform or website.

Question 11

The major ________ e-marketplaces are storefronts and Internet malls.

Accepted Answer

The term "storefronts" and "Internet malls" indicate the presence of business-to-consumer (B2C) e-marketplaces. Option A, B2B, refers to business-to-business marketplaces, while option B, C2B, refers to consumer-to-business marketplaces. Option C, B2B2C, indicates a combination of B2B and B2C. Therefore, option D, B2C, is the best choice for the given statement.

Question 12

The portion of an e-seller's business through which customers interact,including the seller's portal,electronic catalogs,shopping cart,and payment gateway,is referred to as the ________ of the business.

Accepted Answer

The front end of an e-seller's business refers to the portion through which customers interact, including the seller's portal, electronic catalogs, shopping cart, and payment gateway. The back end refers to the behind-the-scenes operations, such as inventory management and order fulfillment. Infrastructure refers to the underlying technology and systems that support the e-seller's business. Intermediaries are third-party entities that facilitate transactions between buyers and sellers.

Question 13

A new service known as Pownce integrates micro-blogging with file sharing and event invitations.

Accepted Answer

Pownce was a social networking and micro-blogging service that included file sharing and event invitations. It was launched in 2007 and acquired by Six Apart in 2008, but was eventually shut down in 2009.

Question 14

E-marketplaces,shopping carts,e-catalogs,and auctions are the major Web 2.0 mechanisms.

Accepted Answer

E-marketplaces, shopping carts, and e-catalogs are examples of Web 1.0 mechanisms, whereas auctions can fall into both Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 categories depending on their features and functionality. Web 2.0 mechanisms include social networking, user-generated content, and cloud computing, among others.

Question 15

Employees may waste time trying to find relevant and accurate information if they have to access multiple information systems.The best solution to this problem is the use of ________.

Accepted Answer

Web portals provide a single point of access to information from multiple sources, making it easier for employees to find relevant and accurate information without navigating multiple systems.

Question 16

An electronic storefront includes several mechanisms to help sales and sales transactions.The most common mechanisms include all of the following except:

Accepted Answer

While a supply chain may impact the delivery of goods, it is not considered a mechanism for sales transactions. The other options - electronic catalog, search engine, and payment gateway - are common mechanisms found in electronic storefronts to support sales and transactions.

Question 17

Twitter is a free micro-blogging service that allows its users to send tweets up to 140 characters in length.

Accepted Answer

Twitter does indeed allow its users to send tweets up to 140 characters in length, making it a micro-blogging platform.

Question 18

Features that distinguish a blog from a regular Web page are trackbacks,blogrolls,pings,and RSS feeds.

Accepted Answer

These features are commonly found on blogs and distinguish them from traditional websites. Trackbacks allow bloggers to see who is linking to their posts, blogrolls are lists of links to other blogs that the author follows, pings notify search engines and other services when a new post is published, and RSS feeds allow readers to subscribe to new content from the blog.

Question 19

Insurance companies and hotels sell services through storefronts called ________.

Accepted Answer

Portals are storefronts or gateways that provide access to various services or resources. Insurance companies and hotels often use online portals to sell their services. RSS, browsers, and wikis are not typically used as storefronts for selling services.

Question 20

Online markets that are owned and operated by a single company and that are either sell-side or buy-side are known as ________.

Accepted Answer

The term "private e-marketplaces" specifically refers to online buying and selling platforms that are owned and operated by a single company (as opposed to public marketplaces like Amazon or eBay). Within this category, there can be both sell-side and buy-side private e-marketplaces, depending on whether the focus is on selling goods/services to customers or buying goods/services from suppliers. Commercial portals and e-malls are broader terms that can refer to a variety of online shopping or advertising platforms, some of which may involve multiple companies or market participants. B2B marketplaces are a type of public marketplace that specialize in facilitating transactions between businesses.

Quiz 2: E-Marketplaces: Mechanisms, tools, and Impacts of E-Commerce